CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — A massage establishment in Flour Bluff has been ordered to close its doors for six months following an emergency shutdown order issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) amid suspected human trafficking activities.
The emergency closure order, effective February 18, 2025, was issued to V Massage, located at 9925 South Padre Island Drive.
That business, owned by Kiet Tham Ho and operated under V Health LLC, is now prohibited from providing massage services at this location for the duration of the order, according to a press release from TDLR.
The shutdown follows a November 2024 undercover operation by the Corpus Christi Police Department that resulted in the arrest of a massage therapist on prostitution charges.
According to the release, during an inspection of the facility, police discovered evidence consistent with commercial sexual services prohibited under Texas law, including indications that people were living on the premises. Investigators also found the establishment had been advertising on websites known for illicit services.
The closure was executed under House Bill 3579, legislation authored by Representative Brian Bumgarner and Senator Phil King that went into effect September 1, 2023. The law grants TDLR's executive director authority to issue emergency closure orders for massage establishments when human trafficking is suspected by law enforcement or regulatory officials.
This is the 20th emergency order issued by TDLR since the law's implementation.
TDLR told KRIS 6 News this is the first emergency order issued in Corpus Christi under House Bill 3579.
Any person who suspects human trafficking activity is encouraged to contact the National Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-888-373-7888 or text "HELP" or "INFO" to BeFree (233733). For immediate emergencies, authorities recommend calling 911. Complaints regarding TDLR-regulated businesses suspected of involvement in human trafficking can also be filed through the department's official channels.
